Before the curtain rises at the holiday band concert

By 6:30 p.m., a few musicians have arrived. The seventh graders sit on the floor near the drum lockers, where trophies crowd a shelf with posters of band portraits, yellow with age. One poster is from 1998 — the “Pride of the East” — and more from 2001 and 2002. One trophy is for third place at the Peanut Festival. There are over 50 golden trophies, large and small.

The eighth graders sit in another corner, looking at their phones.

The sixth graders are everywhere, all noise and motion. One by one, their classmates arrive. They laugh and point and, eventually, approve of their pressed white shirts, black pants and black dress shoes — attire they have never seen on their friends before tonight.

The Grover B. Harris Jr. Band Room at Pamlico County High School is cavernous with high ceilings and a checkered tile floor, located down the hall from the auditorium. Tonight, the middle school band musicians are meeting here before their holiday concert.

“Don’t need to get your instrument out until 7,” says Mr. Jim Durham. This is his 15th year as director of bands, and he leads all of them, from both the middle school and the high school.

“Tonight is the first time the sixth grade has ever played in front of an audience, so they are nervous,” he tells me. He sports a full gray beard, small glasses over his small, kind eyes, and a candy cane striped tie. “The seventh grade songs are a bit more intricate.”

Santa hats sit in a pile on the floor.

“Shhhhhhhh,” says Mr. Durham gently. But the kids continue to talk.

He sends out an ear-piercing whistle. The kids wince.

“Quietly get out your instruments, but do not play them,” he says.

This is an impossible ask.

A few minutes later, Mr. Durham checks the tone of each instrument with his phone, one by one, then excuses the eighth graders, then the seventh graders, to their seats in the audience. The sixth graders remain, standing in line at the door. They will perform first.

The lineup tonight is a mix of holiday music and songs that show the students’ new skills. The sixth grade plays first, then the seventh grade, then the PCMS Jazz Band, ending with the eighth grade and a finale of the seventh and eighth grade bands together.

By this point, in the practice room, many of the students’ shirts are no longer neatly tucked in and their hair is no longer nicely combed.

“Sixth grade, look at me. I know you are excited. Relax,” says Mr. Durham. “We are about to go on stage. But I will give you 5 seconds to go to the bathroom.” More than half the group runs for the bathroom.

After falling back in line, they walk, jump, and skip with instruments in hand toward the stage in the auditorium. One student, the tallest of the sixth graders, moonwalks. The preteens differ as much as their instruments. Long, unwieldy trombones. Petite flutes.

Mr. Durham counts, two clarinets, two saxes, two flutes, trombones, trumpets, percussion … they are all here.

They take their seats on stage. The audience watches, quiet. A baby cries sweetly in the lobby. The shiny instruments reflect the Christmas tree lights, stage left. Theater curtains are held back with big read bows. A pile of trophies are displayed on stage.

One of the trombone players, in his seat, asks Mr. Durham, “What if I mess up?”

“Breathe. And keep playing,” Mr. Durham whispers back. Then Mr. Durham slowly turns and stands at the front of the stage, microphone in hand.

“Good evening, everyone. Welcome to the sixth grade holiday band performance.”

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